


The Tide is High

by FrozenMemories



Series: Femslash February 2020 [14]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, Fluff, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenMemories/pseuds/FrozenMemories
Summary: Mandy is nervous about visiting Jill at home for the first time.
Relationships: Jill Morgan (MacGyver TV 2016)/Mandy Webster
Series: Femslash February 2020 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632643
Comments: 14
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Mandy nervously drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. It was going to be a four hour ride out to LA and that gave her a _lot_ of time to rethink and overanalyze her actions and emotions.

Over the past couple of weeks Jill and her had exchanged a number of text conversations, even had a few phone calls in between, as far as their miss-matched work schedules had allowed. They hadn’t really talked about _them_ , what they wanted or expected from each other, but the undertones of their exchanges had always been flirty. So when Jill had texted her, asking if they could see each other again the answer truly was a no-brainer.

It didn’t take too long to settle on a date where they could fit a meeting in. Mandy was eager to suggest she’d drive over to LA and Jill had offered to take care of the arrangements on site - pick a place to eat and plan their dating activities.

Except neither had explicitly called it a _date_ and so far they’d only shared one kiss and yes, they’d been suggestive in their messages but not overly so. Maybe it was just a little too much wishful thinking on Mandy’s part.

Now here she was, driving down the highway with a full load of butterflies in her stomach and a nervous twitch in the leg that wasn’t stepping down on the gas.

To add to the jitters Mandy had downed an entire cup of grand latte - the first roadside stop was definitely hers. Why not add another five minutes to the journey when she was already going to be late because she'd had to change her clothes a dozen times before she'd managed to leave home.

She passed the state border in no time, and even though nothing visibly changed about her surroundings, just knowing that she was in California filled her with another burst of nervous energy. And how was her bladder already so full again?

The navigational system estimated another 2.5 hours to go, the sun stood high in the sky and Mandy gripped the wheel hard, trying to ground herself. Everything would be _fine_. She knew that as soon as she’d talk to Jill she’d feel at ease again, Jill had had had that effect on her right from the start. But _what if_?

What if despite the frequent use of kissy face emojis and the repeated exclamation of _“I cannot wait to see you,”_ and the almost daily _"Hey girlfriend,”_ texts this was all just in good fun? It was one thing to meet up again with someone you instantly got along with just to have a good time together, but an entirely different thing to build up something _serious_ on it, across a rather long distance at that. And still, the more Mandy thought about it the more she found herself wanting _just that_. It was ridiculous, really. After all she barely knew Jill. She’d always had a tendency to fall head over heels for people and then lived to regret it once they realized what a clingy fool she was. And anyway, they hadn’t even properly kissed yet.

She hadn’t had the guts to ask Jill about her intentions yet, either. Or about her experiences with women. Maybe she was just eager to experiment and here Mandy was already fantasizing about a possible relationship.

Maybe it was a mistake that she had agreed to staying over. “I wouldn’t want you to drive that distance twice in one day, especially not after a drink or two,” Jill had told her in an inscrutably neutral tone, “I have a couch big enough to sleep on, you can go back home the next day and still have plenty of time left to crash before you’ve got to go back to work.” She had sounded so reasonable that Mandy had agreed to the idea right away.

Now she wondered if it wasn’t _too much._ Was it presumptuous to expect anything to happen between them? With a guy she wouldn’t have these concerns, she mused, but girls were just so hard to figure out. Sure, Jill had kissed her, drunkenly and rather chaste. It didn’t mean a thing. Women were so painfully ambivalent when it came to distinguishing friendship and romance. Hell, Mandy had kissed her best friend platonically on the mouth more than a couple of times.

Resisting the urge to hit her forehead against the wheel at 80 miles per hour she let out a frustrated groan instead.

By the time Mandy arrived at her destination she felt like a complete wreck. Pulling the car into park in front of the address Jill had sent her she took a moment to breathe. She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror and had to wipe away some mascara smudges that she’d managed to acquire around her eyes. Her skin was shiny with sweat from the strong afternoon sun, even though she’d had the air condition running the entire trip. She looked horrible she judged disapprovingly.

However, running from the situation wasn’t an option. She had come all the way to LA to meet Jill and she was going to. She’d been excited about it all week. She rummaged around her purse for a Kleenex to wipe her face with and pulled out her make-up bag to make herself a little more presentable.

Slowly she counted to ten before she exited the car. Her knees felt unsure with every step that brought her closer to the entrance. “Dammit, girl, it’s just Jill,” she muttered to herself under her breath, “Stop being ridiculous.”

She looked the apartment building up and down in an attempt to divert her thoughts. The neighborhood looked nice, the buildings seemed to be relatively new. Jill probably paid big rent on it. The thought made Mandy feel bland again, as she compared it to the rather shaggy old place that she lived in. Not that her apartment wasn’t cozy, it just didn’t have the same inviting exterior as this.

With a shake of her head she tried to refocus her attention. Walking up to the entrance she checked the nameplates for the right place and then raised a shaky finger to press the door bell.

“Here we go.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Hi.” Mandy waved shyly when the door opened.

“There you are!” Jill beamed at her and drew her into an embrace without detectable hesitation, “It’s so good to see you, how was the drive? Are you hungry? Do you want a drink?”

Mandy smiled at the incessant stream of Jill’s voice.

When Jill let go and smiled at her Mandy found that she had been right before. The tension melted instantaneously and her lips curled up into a happy grin.

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling, I’m just so excited,” Jill babbled on and grabbed for Mandy’s hand to pull her inside, “Come on, let me give you a quick tour.”

“It’s good to see you, too,” was the first sentence Mandy managed to fit in when Jill paused briefly to take a breath.

“Gosh, I’m the worst, sorry.” Jill covered her face with her free hand and Mandy thought it was the most adorable thing she’d seen her do so far. It made her chuckle and squeeze the hand that still hadn’t let go of hers.

“It’s kind of really endearing,” she admitted cheekily, “And it makes me feel less nervous about myself.”

Jill smiled, a blush creeping across her cheeks and oh boy, Mandy had it bad.

“So anyway, this is where I live,” she gestured around the main room of the apartment, letting Mandy’s hand slip from hers in the process. Mandy let her eyes roam around the faintly pink walls, haphazardly decorated with pictures and paraphernalia. Most of the images seemed to be of family and friends but there were also a number of paintings and some landscape photography. The shelves were stacked with books and there was a variety of candles and small vases placed all over the many side boards and drawers.

Overall it was cozy, loaded with stuff but not cluttered. She hadn’t spent much time wondering about what the place would look like beforehand but she felt like it met her expectations to a T. It seemed very _Jill_ , she thought.

Her gaze continued to swipe across the small kitchenette. It looked tidy and clean, nothing too fancy but sufficient for a one person household. The placemat on the floor reminded her that there was someone else who Jill shared the place with, though.

“So where’s your room mate?” she asked, pointing to the empty bowl on the floor.

“Oh, Charlie’s probably in bed, he sleeps all day and comes out to bug me at night.” There was a fond glow behind Jill's glasses as she spoke.

Mandy giggled at the mental image of the red tabby cat that Jill had already sent her a couple of pictures of before, stepping all over Jill’s half asleep form. She bet the sight was adorable. In her mind it certainly was. She really had to reel herself in. 

Unaware of her guest's inappropritate train of thought Jill grabbed a small plastic box with treats and shook it while calling the cat’s name.

A thud came from the direction of one of the two slightly ajar doors at the back of the room, and then a paw appeared through the crack and clumsily shuffled the door open.

“There he is,” Jill smiled affectionately and crouched down to the eagerly approaching fur ball. She fed him a treat and then scratched him under his chin.

“Charlie, say hi to Mandy.”

The cat ignored her but Mandy didn’t mind. Hopefully he’d get to have adequately more time to get acquainted with her.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Mandy asked when Jill poured her a glass of iced tea. Jill pushed her glasses back up her nose and smiled.

“Well, I figured you wouldn’t be too keen on driving anywhere after the long trip so I thought we’d stay in the area. There’s a street food market not too far from here and they have really cool stuff. Unless you’d rather go to a proper restaurant? I know a couple of nice places in the neighborhood.” Jill frowned and Mandy quickly cut in, “Street food sounds awesome!”

“Really?” She almost looked incredulous, as if she wasn’t used to people liking her ideas. Which was hard to imagine, considering she was pretty much a genius.

“Yeah, I love trying different things and it’s nice to be able to walk around in between instead of sitting stiffly at some table,” Mandy offered a quick reassurance.

“Exactly!” Jill exclaimed enthusiastically, the doubtful expression quickly replaced by one of joy.

“So anyway, there’s a skate park nearby and we could watch the cool kids do all those flips and tricks and laugh when they fall flat on their asses.”

Mandy laughed out loud at that.

“Wow, you’re devious,” she teased, and then added just for the record, “I love that.”

Jill ducked her head and grinned.

“We could also rent some roller blades, there’s an outdoor rink in the park. There’s a mini golf court, too, if you’re more into that.”

“You’ve really put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?” She asked, enjoying how Jill’s cheeks turned the color of her walls again as she fumbled to explain herself.

“Just want to make the most of it while you're here."

“What are we waiting for then? Sounds like we’re going to have a very eventful day ahead of us,” Mandy smiled into her glass before setting it back down. Jill nodded and stood up off the couch, quickly offering a hand to her.

“Well then, let’s go.”


	3. Chapter 3

Standing on wobbly knees Mandy desperately regretted the whole rollerblading business. She’d meekly dissented the idea at first, claiming she wasn’t that athletic, but then Jill had grinned, arguing that it really wasn’t that difficult and it would be _fun_ and who was Mandy to object to that?

The last time she’d worn wheels beneath her feet had been approximately around the age of twelve - and she’d been lucky she hadn’t lost her incisors when Daryl McFarland had willfully shoved her into the side fence.

“Come on,” Jill encouraged with a beckoning smile and then all of Mandy’s regrets disappeared the moment Jill took her hand in hers and gently tagged her along.

To her surprise it only took a few minutes to settle into a flow and while the first round was still going at a staggering pace the second one went almost smoothly. By the third she felt secure enough to trust her body’s movements and launch into a conversation again.

Their topics ranged from work to friends to embarrassing gym class memories and their sentences were interspersed with laughter and giggles which caused a very comfortable warmth to spread throughout Mandy's body.

The only thing they didn’t talk about was the fact that they were holding hands the entire time. It was all under the guise of steadying each other while skating, of course - and Mandy _may_ have stumbled a time or two on purpose just to demonstrate the supporting hand was in fact still needed. Jill didn’t seem the least bit displeased by her clumsiness.

While skating around in circles hadn’t proven all that difficult the issue of stopping half-gracefully presented itself not too long after they’d decided to take a break.

“Uh, Jill?” Mandy asked with a tug on the other woman’s hand, “How do I put on the breaks?”

Jill laughed. “Brace yourself,” she warned just before she pirouetted around Mandy and pulled her body close while she spun them both to a halt. They almost doubled over with laughter when they bumped together and skidded into the wall.

“Are you okay?” Jill asked as they both adjusted their glasses.

“My butt is going to bruise but I’ll be fine,” Mandy supplied with a broad smile still on her face, “How about you?”

Jill smoothed out her hair and straightened up, “I’m good. Landed softly,” she added with a wink.

Mandy grinned. “You’re welcome.”

Jill hadn’t been boasting when she’d raved about the food market, Mandy noted once they arrived at the spacious area filled with rows of various food trucks. The smells were enticing and everything looked so tempting and delicious. They decided to start off with a quick round to get an overview before picking the ones they'd try out. The selection was big and they opted to share portions instead of getting a piece of everything each so they could ultimately taste more.

Mandy almost choked on a piece of empanada that she just happened to stuff into her mouth at the same exact moment as Jill cracked her up with another hilarious anecdote of her fellow lab-tech Bozer.

“Damn girl,” she huffed in between coughs, “You can’t make me laugh like that when I got food in my mouth.”

Jill giggled a breathless “Sorry,” and gently rubbed circles onto Mandy’s back until the sputtering subsided.

She let her hand linger for a while, leaving Mandy to relish the warmth of her touch, and then pulled away with a small grin.

“So anyway, he literally _jumped right out of his skin_ when the boss came in, he was so sure he’d get fired for that. Imagine the face when she complimented him on his creativity instead,” Jill continued on as if she had never been interrupted. Mandy chuckled, “You’ve really got to take me to work with you some time.”

“Maybe next time, today is all about us.”

Next time, Mandy mused, that did sound promising. The happy expression seemed to become a permanent fixture on her face and it only solidified as she watched Jill finish the last of her food with a satisfied hum.

“What’s your opinion on ice cream?” Mandy asked, nodding towards one of the trucks. 

“The best sort of dessert!” Jill exclaimed in response, “Let’s get some.”

As they were waiting in line they discussed their tastes and personal favorites only to find the truck not serving any of them; instead the range of flavors was experimental and uncommon.

“I think I’ll try basil,” Mandy pondered aloud while her eyes roamed over the options repeatedly, “Oh, and a scoop of _Bloody Mary._ ”

Jill chuckled and moved in closer to take a look at the display, “Hmm, tomato jam sounds interesting,” she stated thoughfully, “And I’m definitely having some of that ginger coffee fudge.”

“Do we share?” Mandy wriggled her eyebrows to elicit another adorable giggle from Jill, “Of course we will.”

They didn’t _have_ to sit so close their shoulders touched, Mandy thought with an excited tingle in her belly, there really was enough space on that bench. Jill had _chosen_ to sit right there. In turn Mandy had decided to move sideways just a little more until their knees lightly bumped into each other. Jill hadn’t shied away from the touch. If anything, Jill’s knee was still returning the gentle pressure.

Overlooking the skate park, as Jill had suggested earlier in the day, they sat side by side, sharing ice cream and more stories. The sun was hanging low in the sky, painting everything in pink and orange hues. Mandy had never seen a more fitting definition of _perfect._


	4. Chapter 4

As reluctant as Mandy had been to leave the park and relinquish the closeness, sharing a small booth in a cozy bar absolutely made up for it. In the spirit of their previously established custom they sipped on each other’s cocktails and debated which one had been the better choice.

Maybe it was the way Jill clung to her every word with wide blue eyes that stirred the urge in Mandy to share her entire life story with her - every childhood memory, every embarrassing incident, all the big moments and all the small details. There was just _something_ that made her want to be _known_ completely. And in return she was just as eager to know all of Jill.

The only pauses in their conversation happened when they went to order new drinks or when either of them had to use the bathroom – both of which happened more frequently as the night progressed.

It hadn’t been Mandy’s intention to get drunk before they’d finally got to address the one thing she still hadn’t managed to bring up – but then she figured a little liquid courage might be what they’d need for it to happen. Still, three cocktails in she felt pleasantly buzzed but not half brave enough to broach the subject yet.

Jill was no help either, giggling enthusiastically at Mandy’s jokes and being utterly distracting in doing so.

And so she twirled her straw around the empty glass and cocked her head sideways to ask, “One more?”

Jill’s already flushed cheeks seemed to glow when she grinned and then pushed at her glasses to go over the cocktail menu again.

“I think we’ve almost made it through the entire selection,” she giggled while she traced the list with the tip of her finger. Mandy felt her eyes transfixed by the subtle movement; thankfully Jill seemed too preoccupied to notice.

Drink number four didn’t miraculously make Mandy bold and brave; however it made her forget why she was so worried about defining what they were doing. She hadn’t laughed this much in a very long time. She hadn’t felt this carefree and connected with anyone in, well – ever. Nothing mattered but the moment right there, surrounded by the sounds of Jill’s laughter. And boy did that sound sappy even to her own inebriated brain.

A nudge on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts.

“Did you just zone out on me?” Jill asked with an amused sparkle in her eyes.

Mandy vehemently shook her head. “No. I… no, well, maybe?”

“Wanna call it a night? I don’t think I need any more of these.” Jill held her empty glass up as she spoke and Mandy nodded reluctantly. She didn’t exactly feel like drinking any more but she didn’t want the night to end, either.

“Everything alright?” Jill frowned, scrunching up her face in a way that made Mandy want to lean in for a kiss. She blinked and the moment was gone.

“Yes,” she muttered and gestured for Jill to get up, “Let’s get out of here.”

When they stumbled into the cool night air Mandy instantly felt her mind clear up a little. She wasn’t exactly swaying from the alcohol but she figured it would serve as a good excuse for casually bumping into Jill’s side every now and then as they walked.

They could have called a cab but somehow Jill seemed as unwilling to rush home as Mandy did and so they just strolled down the semi busy streets, past pubs and bars and the occasional night club.

An easy silence settled over them, more comfortable than Mandy would have expected after the constant flow of conversation over the past hours.

She was lost in thoughts again when she felt Jill’s hand bump hers accidentally. It sent a warm tingle though her arm. When it happened again she wondered if maybe it wasn’t quite that accidental after all. When it happened for a third time Mandy very decidedly bumped back. And then their fingers threaded together and they were holding hands.

Mandy could feel her heart doing double takes.

“Oh look!” Jill suddenly exclaimed, pointing their joined fingers to the opposite side of the street, “A photo booth!”

It wasn’t even a question. They crossed over to the small cubicle and Mandy rummaged around her pocket for some change to feed the automat with.

They broke into a fit of giggles as they awkwardly tried to cram into the small booth. They tried to fit one buttock each onto the small seat which ended in Jill almost landing on the floor. In an astonishingly smooth move Mandy managed to grab Jill by the hips and pull her up into her lap.

“Alright, this is better.” She decided to keep her arms around Jill to prevent her from sliding down – and also because Jill felt really good in her arms – while Jill tapped commands into the touch screen.

“Ready?” She asked and Mandy barely had a chance to look up before a bright flash blinded her.

“Dammit,” she muttered, “I wasn’t ready.”

Jill laughed and doubled over as the next flash went off, probably just catching the crown of her head in the picture.

“Aw, come on now,” Mandy complained but had to giggle nonetheless. Jill turned and wrapped an arm around her shoulder so they could press their faces closer together and both fit into the frame. The third shot had them both smiling rather stiff in concentration.

“Okay,” Jill decided with a chuckle, “We gotta try that again.”

“Oh, let’s do funny faces,” Mandy suggested while Jill operated the screen again.

This time she was prepared to catch the countdown and they both stuck out their tongues just as the camera flashed.

As she watched Jill tug a stray curl behind her ear before the next shot Mandy was overcome by another wave of adoration; from the corner of her eyes she saw the 3…2…1… flash across the screen and on impulse she leaned in to press her lips into Jill’s soft cheek.

She felt Jill tense on top of her and just as she feared she had done something stupid Jill twisted her head and their eyes met.

No doubt remained when she closed the distance between them and finally got to taste Jill’s lips again.

Closing her eyes she barely registered the third flash of the camera.


	5. Chapter 5

Jill tasted faintly of strawberry and remnants of rum from her last colada. And her lips were even softer than Mandy remembered.

“Wow,” Jill breathed against her mouth when they pulled just briefly apart.

Mandy’s lips curled into a smug grin.

“Yeah,” she agreed.

“I’ve been waiting for this since we sat on that bench,” Jill admitted quietly, “No, actually since the skating rink.”

“Are you kidding me? You saying I could have been kissing you all day?”

Mandy was both astonished and regretful.

Instead of receiving a verbal answer she found herself being kissed again. Jill’s hands were warm and soft on her cheeks, keeping their faces close. Their glasses brushed together uncomfortably but Mandy didn’t care. She’d been waiting for this to happen, too; since long before the skating to be honest.

The butterflies in her stomach danced wildly as she tightened her hold around Jill’s waist.

“You can keep this one,” Jill chuckled and waved the first photo strip in Mandy’s face. “I’m definitely keeping the other,” she added, clutching the second strip to her chest with a grin.

On a whim Mandy decided to poke her fingers into Jill’s sides, tickling her until she began squealing, and then made a grab for the small piece of paper. Jill was surprisingly alert and jerked her hand back out of Mandy’s reach.

“Forget it, it’s mine!” She protested Mandy’s efforts to steal it.

“But I want it.” Mandy wasn’t beyond pouting which prompted Jill to catch her lips in a kiss and that was almost better than winning a tug-of-war over the pictures. When Jill wrapped both arms around her neck Mandy deepened the kiss and pulled her closer by her hips, not caring that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, right under the yellow glow of a street light.

“I’ll make you a copy of it,” Jill mumbled against her lips a moment later, “that a deal?”

Mandy grinned and pressed their foreheads together, eyes meeting Jill’s across the rim of her glasses.

“It’ll be a deal if I get to take a picture of you with my phone.” Jill tugged a little firmer at her neck. “Okay.”

They were greeted at the apartment door by a pungent smell. “Oh Charlie,” Jill groaned before she quickly went to make excuses for her cat. “Let me just quickly clean this up,” she mumbled, opening the window on her way to the littler box. Mandy snorted at the situation. It wasn’t as big a deal as Jill was making it, really, but watching Jill make a fuss about it, cheeks colored with embarrassment, was a sight Mandy wouldn't have wanted to miss.

When she turned her gaze from Jill to the couch she spotted the culprit curled up on the duffle bag she had carelessly put there when she’d arrived earlier that day. Carefully she walked over to him and sat down, leaving a respectable distance.

The cat made an indefinable sound and eyed her skeptically but didn’t move.

“Hey you,” she said, slowly offering the back of her hand to him so he could smell at her. “Your momma’s really ashamed of your manners,” she continued the one-sided conversation, happy when she heard Jill chuckle from where she was washing her hands in the sink.

“Momma loves him anyway and the little shit knows it,” she joked and turned to look at Mandy while she wiped her hands on a towel.

“Would you like some tea?” She offered, “I’m not really in the mood to go to bed, yet.”

“Me neither,” Mandy replied, “Tea sounds great.”

“So, um,” Mandy nervously twisted her fingers in Jill’s grasp, “Should we, uh, talk about this?” She used her free hand to gesture between them. Jill hummed and looked down at their entangled hands.

“Or… we could kiss some more?”

She coyly smiled up at Mandy through her lashes and _yes_ , kissing did sound much more pleasant than talking. And so they did just that, half empty mugs long discarded on the coffee table and Charlie gently purring in the background.


	6. Chapter 6

Mandy woke to something damp touching her nose. Blearily she tried to blink the world into focus and almost jumped when she recognized the blurry shape in front of her face to be the head of a cat. _Charlie_ , she smiled as he bumped his wet nose against hers once more.

“Umm, hi,” she mumbled and extricated her hand from underneath her belly so she could reach out to pet him gently behind his ears the way she’d observed Jill do last night. _Jill._ She sighed dreamily and closed her eyes again while she let Charlie’s soft purrs lull her back into that pleasant state of not quite being awake yet.

Memories of soft, teasing kisses and tentative fingers flooded her mind. They’d curled up on the couch together, exchanging sweet caresses and playful kisses in between happy little noises for what had seemed like an eternity. She vaguely recalled her eyelids growing heavy and Jill clumsily dragging her up so she could brush her teeth before falling asleep. When she’d returned from the bathroom there’d been a blanket and a pillow on the couch and Jill had kissed her good night with a lingering touch of soft lips against the corner of her mouth.

With her fingers buried inside soft, warm fur, Mandy was almost asleep again when the sound of footsteps brought her back into the present. She smiled and cracked one eye open, trying to make out the shape of Jill sneaking carefully around the room, probably as not to disturb her.

“Good morning,” she said cheerfully, enjoying Jill’s startled little jump.

“Good morning,” Jill returned softly, “did I wake you?”

Mandy heaved herself up and slipped on her glasses, smiling when she could fully appreciate the view of Jill in sleep shorts and a tank.

“Charlie did,” she said with a smile, her hand finding its way back to fondly petting the cat.

“I’m sorry, he has no manners.” Jill grinned. “Do you want coffee?”

Charlie jumped off the couch as soon as Jill reached the kitchen cabinet, eager for his own breakfast, and Mandy followed suit, crossing the room in slow strides until she came to stand behind Jill. On impulse she let her hand rest on Jill's shoulder, and when she felt her lean into the touch she moved closer and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

“Do you need help?” she offered, smiling when Jill turned her head back far enough to look her in the eyes while her hands pressed the button on the coffee maker blindly.

“You can check the fridge for pancake ingredients if you like.”

She couldn’t resist dropping another kiss to Jill’s temple before she stepped over to the fridge. Her hand stopped halfway to the handle as her eyes caught sight of the picture strip from the photo booth.

“When did you put that up there?” she asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between the picture of them kissing and Jill’s instantly blushing face.

Breakfast was over way too soon and their playful banter was gradually overshadowed by the looming good bye that lay ahead of them. They still hadn’t _talked_ , as Mandy was all too well aware of, her mind running wild with possible ways to guide the conversation to the one big question that kept circling there: _where do we go from here?_

Granted, Jill’s actions should have spoken for themselves; random little touches, quirky smiles, the picture on the fridge. Still there was a sense of doubt creeping up. What if she was expecting too much? What if it was too early to bring up the term _relationship_? What if she’d end up scaring Jill away? She felt like she’d gotten to know her on so many levels already but she still didn’t know if Jill had ever _been_ with a woman before or if that was even something she wanted.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Jill observed as they cleared away the dishes. Mandy set the plates she was holding down on the counter and turned around. It was now or never.

“I’m kinda… this is…” She was fumbling, vaguely motioning with her hands between them while big blue eyes looked at her expectantly. “I don’t want to ruin this by saying the wrong thing,” she finally blurted out in one long breath.

Jill sucked one side of her bottom lip between her teeth and cocked her head to the side.

“Then say the right thing?” she suggested, making all the butterflies in Mandy’s stomach flap their wings in excitement.

“What would be the right thing?” she asked quietly, daring to reach her hand out toward Jill’s forearm.

Jill smiled and took a step closer; her eyes targeted Mandy’s lips and then slowly made their way up to meet her eyes.

“Say you don’t want to leave just yet.”

Her words were so softly spoken that Mandy though she could feel them physically caressing her. Or maybe that was just the hand that was slowly crawling up her bare arm, tickling goose bumps onto her skin.

“I don’t,” she whispered and then their lips touched before she could finish her sentence.

Jill’s hand slid up her shoulder and found its way into her hair at the same time that her tongue slid out to part Mandy’s lips and deepen the kiss.

It had only been a day but kissing Jill already felt so familiar it made her wonder if they really did need that talk. She let her hands rest against Jill's hips to gently pull her in and put more pressure behind the kiss, trying to convey her feelings nonverbally.

They parted with mirroring smiles on their faces.

“Does that mean you’re going to visit again?” Jill asked with an adorable little hitch in her voice.

Mandy grinned.

“I take it you want me to?”

Jill dropped her head but not quite managed to hide her coy smile.

“I insist.”


End file.
